In Session » phillip johnsonhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics
Tennessee PoliticsMon, 07 Apr 2014 14:51:50 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6Liveblogging guns-in-restaurants House debatehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/liveblogging-guns-in-restaurants-house-debate/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/liveblogging-guns-in-restaurants-house-debate/#commentsMon, 06 Apr 2009 21:25:05 +0000Colby Sledgehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=2159The bill in question tonight is HB0962, one of several bills dealing with guns this session. It’s not the only one on guns in restaurants, but could become the main bill carried by supporters of the legislation, depending on the amendments adopted and, of course, the final vote. The Senate version of this bill is still in committee.

5:32 p.m. FINAL UPDATE: The House passes HB0962, the guns-in-restaurants bill that would allow handgun carry permit holders to carry their weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol. The bill, as amended, would ban those weapons from restaurants from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where it currently sits in committee. The House vote, 70-26, would be enough to override a potential veto by Gov. Phil Bredesen, who has said he’ll make his decision when/if a bill comes to his desk.

5:31 p.m. Vote on the bill: 70-26. Guns-in-restaurants bill passes in the House.

5:30 p.m. Rep. Eric Swafford calls for the vote on the bill. It prevails 65-31. We may be out of this yet.

5:28 p.m. At least four lawmakers now have their pinwheels out, courtesy of a group against child abuse.

5:25 p.m. Hardaway talks about his research on how accurate the “typical handgun permit owner” is with a gun. There are currently at least eight lawmakers standing around talking to other people.

5:24 p.m. Rep. Joanne Favors tells Todd that “the blood will be on your hands” for something or other. At this point, people are talking to hear themselves talk.

5:20 p.m. Rep. Glen Casada calls for the previous question, meaning we would have a vote on the bill … and Williams asks him to withdraw his motion because nine more people want to speak. This could add a half-hour to the conversation on a bill that has the votes to pass.

4:53 p.m. Todd moves to kill the amendment, prompting House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. Mike Turner to have a discussion with him to the side. Vote coming now.

4:51 p.m. Rep. Larry Miller kicks out his next two amendments, and he has the last one. He wants police to inspect restaurants during the 11 p.m. – 5 a.m. window at least six times per year.

4:49 p.m. That amendment is killed, too: 73-19.

4:48 p.m. Hardaway rolls the next amendment, meaning we’re now to No. 11 of 14 in the amendment count. It should be noted that this is the last of Hardaway’s amendments … and he’s wanting a vote on it. It would make a violation of the law a Class A felony if a handgun permit holder were involved. Like killing a fly with a sledgehammer.

4:46 p.m. Hardaway says something about Sunday not being a day “to think about bloodshed.” The motion to kill that amendment succeeds 73-20.

4:42 p.m. Hardaway rolls that one and the next two, as well. He is describing every amendment and then kicking each one to the curb.

4:39 p.m. Rep. G.A. Hardaway is into his fourth amendment (No. 6 out of a total of 14); he has already rolled his first three.

4:36 p.m. House tries again to vote on the bill, fails again 61-34. This is like trying to jump-start a faulty lawn mower.

4:35 p.m. The votes are literally sitting on the board to try to pass the bill without hearing any of the remaining 12 amendments (the motion would have failed anyway, 63-32). They won’t count, though, because Rep. Curry Todd called for the vote on his own bill, which can’t happen.

4:33 p.m. The amendment fails 72-17, meaning the time limit is still in place. You can pretty much tell Kelsey didn’t mean to bring it in the first place.

4:31 p.m. Now Kelsey asks Speaker Kent Williams what he should do. Williams essentially tells him that it’s his call. Kelsey renews the amendment.

4:28 p.m. Kelsey now says his motion is on the amendment to have it voted upon, when asked by Rep. Jimmy Naifeh. The House is already confused, folks.

4:27 p.m. Rep. Brian Kelsey, whose amendment tripped up the discussion on the bill last week, is trying to go back on it now. It’s clear that supporters of the bill are trying to get it through quickly.

It’s never a good idea to screw up your employees’ paychecks, but it’s especially egregious when you’re the state’s largest employer and you’re in the middle of a recession.

Yet that’s what keeps happening with the state’s $134 million payroll system, dubbed Project Edison, which launched about seven months ago. Since then complaints about the system – which was supposed to increase efficiency – have been rolling in. Benefits mysteriously disappear. Paystubs wildly vary. One woman’s paycheck was short 70 hours of work.

The problems have persisted long enough for the House Finance Committee to call to the carpet on Tuesday Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz and the creators of the software to explain the issues, and how they’re going to get fixed.

“There have been some mistakes,” Rep. Phillip Johnson, R-Pegram, said on the House floor Thursday. “Mine was pretty dramatic.”

Johnson said on the House floor that some of his benefits and payments “got a little confused,” but didn’t elaborate. Rep. Joe McCord, R-Maryville, said his insurance had been canceled temporarily.